#PERFECTIONREBELLION

Recently I’ve given a lot of thought to my personal hashtag, #AudaciouslyPlayful. When my branding journey begun, I was a recent Virginia Tech Graduate, budding yoga instructor, and 22 years old. At the time, the words audacious and playful were monumental in my life. I set a Big Huge A** Goal (BHAG), opened a yoga studio at age 24, and took on the challenges of business ownership without a single employee. While, I don't suggest anyone open a business without employees, that is how I began.

In the summer of 2014, I wrapped my jeep pink, hung colorful stars from the hallways in my studio, and tossed on cowboy boots for every country concert I could make. I dubbed myself the #YogaBarbie, and had the colorful wardrobe and bright smile to back up my nickname. I was and always will be playful at heart; however, I have matured beyond the budding business owner I was. While you probably think I am still young, I am now almost 28, and it's time for me to refocus.

I realized #AudaciouslyPlayful was a goal of my own; rather, than a message I wanted to share with the world. I needed to maintain lightheartedness while making courageous decisions; such as, hiring employees older than myself, meeting with leasing agents, and scheduling meetings with accountants and lawyers. I was terrified and unstoppable, and the day I signed my name on the Regency Centers contract, I knew the next chapter of my life would be a challenge.

I have spent many hours in self-inquiry svadyaya through the transition from who I was to who I am becoming. My greatest accomplishment is not in building a yoga studio, nor is it in branding myself, it is the community that I have contributed to. My most fulfilling days are the days I hear from a student, “your message landed with me.” I am committed to continuing to better myself, and I am driven to influence others. I have been shaped through my experiences, my youth, my athletic endeavors, and I am passionate about the practice I have found. Yoga is the antithesis of the perfect 10, a physical practice without a score, a place to unroll your mat and drop your ego at the door. I am a recovering perfectionist, join me in becoming a #PerfectionRebellion